Spo-CAN, Washington

That’s right, I’ve officially been a student at Gonzaga University for 2 years and I’ve been mispronouncing its city name wrong this whole time. That, like how to get a student ID and how to use the on-campus interlibrary loan system, is just one of the things I’ve learned now that I’m at the end of my graduate career. Cheers.

For those of you who are lucky enough not to have my twitter updates going to your phone… let me just tell you, getting here really was half the fun! Our 4am airport shuttle pick up in Durham, our 3 hour delay in Chicago, our missed flight in Seattle, or our no-luggage revelation in Spokane might seem like a nightmare to some of you. Not me. Nope, this is what makes getting up at 3:00am to travel across the country worth it! Not knowing what crazy curve ball will come next, and knowing that I’ll get to write about it later is what memories are made of!

Here are 5 things that have made this trip great:
1. Cinnabon in the Chicago airport. How did I not get a picture of this, my first Cinnabon ever? Regrets. I’m not ashamed to admit it wasn’t as large as reported, either. I could definitely have eaten the whole thing.

2. Hoopfest happening this weekend in Spokane. It’s the largest 3 on 3 b-ball tournament in the world. I’ve heard 7000 teams are entered, and I’ve also heard 15,000. So, it’s probably in the middle somewhere. But, there are make-shift courts and hoops set up literally EVERYWHERE around downtown. I’ve never seen anything like it!

3. A waterfall in the middle of downtown. Seriously, that’s cool.

4.The first night of my class was an art session. I drew pictures and played with real sculpting clay! Who knew grad school was so much fun?!

5.The solar/lunar patterns are very bizarre here; I assume our global position and the time of year has something to do with this, though I’ve not gotten a chance to research it yet. All I know is that at 4:15am it’s light outside, and that the moon is setting at bedtime, rather than rising. Also very cool.

If there were a #6 on that list it would be seeing the look on peoples’ faces when I say I’m from Chapel Hill and work at UNC. There’s apparently some basketball rivalry…? :)

And PS, sorry about all the twitters on travel-day. I broke all my own rules that day!

Revisiting my coastal tendencies...

So I'm reminded today of my love for the ocean, the depth of it, I suppose you could say. Even today, when the sun is mostly covered by clouds, when the wind is blowing, and the water hasn't yet met my 85 degree minimum requirement: I'm still content to be here, blogging from my phone and listening to the waves. More than content, really. (And PS, never felt this way in the mountains.)

Learning to Love

So much about this church planting thing is a learning experience - really, I guess all of it is. But it's the things I didnt know that I needed to learn that continue to surprise me the most. We came with one mission: to LOVE the people of Chapel Hill with the heart of Jesus. I expected that the "figuring out what the heart of Jesus" really means would be the tough part. And probably, it is. But I find myself still learning what it looks like to love - the part I thought would be a no brainer. So, here are a few of the things I've learned lately:

Real love for a friend looks like your heart breaking when theirs is hurt.

Real love looks like taking one extra lap around the block just to spend a little more time walking among the people.

Real love looks like a free night's stay at the Red Roof Inn and a Wendy's Baconator the night before a new job starts.

Real love looks like going over the top, only to find that there isnt really a top at all because love means that there's always more to give.

Real love looks like a red carnation after a hard day at work.

Real love looks like a low-paid summer internship in ministry rather than a posh job at the Gap.

Real love looks like driving 4 hours round trip several times a week to connect with friends who are quickly becoming family.

Real love looks like cancelling a trip to stay by the side of those who need you more.

Real love looks like an invitation to something greater.

Many thanks for the lessons, friends. It is an honor and a pleasure serving with you!

Whatev!

Ok, so maybe it turns out that I'm not so good at this blogging thing. But, I do want to point out that I was Twittering before it was trendy. Just sayin'.